


Through a Rose-Coloured Camera Lens

by aurorstorm



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-13
Updated: 2012-11-30
Packaged: 2017-11-12 01:33:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/485179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurorstorm/pseuds/aurorstorm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry has to make a video presentation to his class about his family, which forces Regina and Emma to interact. Undoubtedly, cute bickering and fluffy moments make their way onto film. The resulting presentation might just cause Regina and Emma to <i>finally</i> realise their true feelings and begin to appreciate their quaint little family.</p><p>Short multi-chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was prompted on tumblr:  
> Henry has to make a video presentation to his class about family, which forces Regina and Emma to interact. Due to Henry's presentation, people get the impression Regina and Emma are a couple... (bonus points if there's lots of cute bickering and Regina and Emma saying nice things about the other)
> 
> Feedback is appreciated! x

“Just pretend I’m not even here,” Henry says as he crouches down behind his camera. “You won’t notice me.” 

Emma rolls her eyes. “I still can’t believe you roped me into this, kid.” 

“Believe me,” Regina calls from the garden shed, “I tried to get the assignment called off.” 

“I’m sure you did.” Emma leans back against the wall and huffs impatiently, staring out at Regina’s immaculately maintained garden. “Why should I even be involved in this?” she groans. 

“Because this video project is about my family, and  _you’re_  my family now—” 

“No, no,” Emma interrupts, “I mean getting this stupid ball off the roof. You’re a big kid now, Henry. If you kick the ball, you get it back.” 

Henry frowns, and shrugs. “Mom says it’s not safe.” 

“And it most certainly is not,” Regina says as she hobbles over, clearly struggling under the weight of the steel ladder. “Two people are required for this task; two  _adults_.” 

Emma pushes herself off the wall with a sigh. “Here, let me,” she says, and takes the ladder from Regina with ease. She marches over to the site of the accident, causing Henry to scurry backwards and adjust his zoom. 

“Right.” Emma positions the ladder and checks it is secure. “I’m gonna climb up and get it, while you hold this steady,” she instructs Regina, who nods complicity and grasps the ladder. 

A few months back, Emma would not have trusted Regina in the slightest, but here she is putting her safety in the woman’s hands. Things have changed, lately. Things have been… nice.  _It’s Henry,_  she reminds herself,  _It’s all for Henry._  

“Got it,” Regina reassures her, noticing Emma’s momentary drift. “You can go up now.” 

“‘Kay.” Emma grips the rails tightly and steps up the ladder carefully but energetically. Perhaps she should have worn jeans that weren’t so tight, she muses, but changes her mind when she glances down and sees Regina staring up at her with a glint in her eye. 

So Emma wiggles her butt playfully, just a little. She can’t help herself. “Like what you see?” she adds with a cheeky grin. 

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Regina chuckles. “And don’t be foolish. Just get the ball down.” 

Emma reaches out and grasps the offending object. “Can I toss it?” she asks. 

“I’ll have to let go,” Regina warns. “Just for a moment.” Emma nods, and throws the ball down gently. Regina catches it with surprising ease and places it at her feet before taking hold of the steel again. 

Emma climbs back down nimbly, but her foot catches on the final rung and she trips slightly, resulting in an awkward dismount. She stumbles into Regina, catching herself on the woman’s shoulder. 

“Well done,” Regina drawls as she shrugs away from Emma and picks up the ball from her feet. “I knew you wouldn’t get through it without a clumsy mistake.”

Emma would normally be offended, but she’s getting better at understand Regina’s darker sense of humour and decides to play along. 

“Oh yeah? And who’s the one who had to call  _me_  around to get something on the roof? You’re so  _domestic_ ,” Emma retorts, grinning. 

“Be quiet,” Regina chuckles, then faux-gasps as Emma snatches the ball from her hands, poking out her tongue childishly, and chest-passes it against the wall. 

The scuffing of footsteps on concrete causes both women to remember where they are, and  _who_  exactly has been watching them. 

“Great footage. That was really cute,” Henry says as he snaps the camera shut. “See, I knew you guys would be naturals!” 

Emma gapes as he dashes back into the house, no doubt to load the files onto his computer. “Did…” she stammers, “did—did he just say we were cute?” 

Regina sighs and shakes her head. “I do not see this ending well.” 

“No kidding!” 

Regina turns to follow Henry back into the house, and calls out to Emma: “Be a dear and put the ladder away, will you?”

When she reaches the doorway, she notices Emma standing her ground and frowning - just the way Henry does, Regina notes (not for the first time). “Please?” she adds with a pout. 

“Only because you asked so nicely,” Emma says, rolling her eyes, and she lifts the ladder with a barely disguised grimace. 

“So domestic,” Regina calls after the retreating figure, smiling to herself. 

Meanwhile, Henry watches from the upstairs window, all too pleased with himself.  _This is turning out so much better than expected_ , he thinks, bouncing up on his toes with glee.


	2. Chapter 2

"Please, Mom! Even just for the sake of my project?" Henry tugs on the straps of his backpack as he pleads with his mother through the car window. "I know you want me to do well at school. What if I failed because I couldn't get enough footage of Emma?"

Regina rolls her eyes. "I suppose I could invite her over for dinner when I see her," she concedes. "But don't get any ideas. This is just dinner, and filming your little introductions, and that's it."

"Thank you! I swear that's all I need." He grins at her before running away into the schoolyard, eager to start his day with the prospect of dinner with both his mothers that night.

Regina shakes her head as she drives away, making a mental note to complain a good deal about this assignment in Henry's next parent-teacher conference.

 

 

"She's here!"

Regina's pulse speeds up to the pace of Henry's footsteps as she hears him run to the door. She fretfully wipes her hands on her apron before removing it and hanging it in the pantry. Underneath, she wears a loose-fitting grey cashmere sweater and sleek black pants, and she finds herself nervously wondering if she is underdressed - or even overdressed - and if Emma will truly enjoy her lasagne (as much as her father does, Regina thinks dryly, but she tries not to dwell on that night very often).

She takes a deep breath when she hears Emma greet her son at the door, and consoles herself that she is only nervous due to the stresses of hosting a dinner guest, rather than due to the guest herself.

"Hey," Emma says brightly as she strolls into the kitchen. She holds out a bottle of wine to Regina. "I would have brought something for us to eat," she explains, "but I thought I'd spare you both from the horror of my cooking."

"Very considerate of you," Regina replies, accepting the gift with a gracious smile. Emma's self-deprecating humour and warm presence relaxes her almost instantly, which makes the prospect of spending an evening together much more bearable. She places a hand on Henry's shoulder and steers him out of the kitchen, where he had been staring into the oven with hunger in his eyes. "Henry, why don't you and Emma take a seat while I serve dinner?" 

"Will we do my filming right afterwards?" he asks as he slips his hand into Emma's.

Regina opens her mouth to respond, but Emma beats her to it. "You know, if we both help your mom with the washing up," she says, "I reckon we will."

"That's very kind of you." Regina stares at Emma with interest, who blushes under her gaze. Even though they haven't fought properly in months, Regina is consistently surprised by Emma's generosity and friendliness towards her.

Henry tugs on Emma's hand, eager to get started with dinner and unaware of the moment occurring between his mothers. "Come on, Emma," he nags, and Emma lets herself be led to the dining room with a quick apologetic glance back to Regina.

 

 

As soon as Emma lets her cutlery clatter on to her plate, Henry leaps up from the table.

"And where are you off to, young man?" Regina asks with an eyebrow raised.

He scuffs his foot impatiently. "To get my camera!"

"Hey, kid, I thought we agreed to help your mom with the dishes first!" Emma scolds.

Regina looks between Emma and Henry, both looking equally frustrated with the other, and decides to give in to the warm fuzzy feeling in her chest for once. She wants Henry to have a good night, and she knows that making Emma out to be the bad guy won't make him any warmer towards Regina either. "Henry, you can go and get your camera ready," she says kindly. "I'm sure I can manage the washing up on my own."

"Thanks, Mom!" Henry exclaims, his surprise obvious. He wastes no time in rushing out of the room.

Regina stands and picks up her and Henry's plates, but Emma is quick to grab her own and she follows Regina into the kitchen.

"You don't have to help me, you know," Regina tells her as she fills the sink.

Emma shrugs. "I want to."

 

 

They work together easily; Emma assumes the role of dish-washer, while Regina dries the dishes and puts them away in their proper place. While they work, they chat about Henry - things that Emma hasn't been able to ask him herself. She wants to know how he's really finding all his homework, how fast he is growing, if Regina is having any trouble with him, and most of all, if he is happy.

Regina can sense it - sense that Emma's questions are coming from more than just curiosity, that she is desperate to fill in the gaps of her new relationship with Henry. She understands Emma's feeling of being excluded, because she had felt it herself when Emma first came into Henry's life.

Emma's efforts are what helped rebuild her own relationship with Henry, Regina knows that, so she is no longer afraid to let Emma in - although admittedly, it still scares her a little that Henry wants to include Emma as a family member in his assignment.

Regardless, she feels it is her duty to be especially accommodating now. She tells herself that it’s nothing more than that as they laugh and speak openly, and refuses to accept how enjoyable spending time with Emma really is.

 

 

What both women are unaware of, however, is that Henry has crept back down the stairs and is filming from around the kitchen door as they work and talk happily. He squints through the lens at them as Regina pauses to inspect a plate and picks a scrap of food off it, teasing Emma about her poor washing abilities. Emma retaliates by flicking some soap suds at Regina.

Henry certainly wasn't planning on capturing what soon escalates into a full-scale water fight, but he is very proud of what he considers his best footage yet.

Until Emma turns around and notices him, that is, and he barely has time to end the recording before a handful of bubbles splatters over his nose.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of the dinner will be the next chapter. Thanks for reading. :)
> 
> (Also: It seems that when chapter 1 made its journey across from tumblr to AO3, one sentence didn't survive. I've added it back in now, but actually, uploading isn't working too well for me. If you notice that something doesn't seem quite right in this chapter, please let me know! It could just be shoddy writing, but there's a chance something has been deleted. Thanks.)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of the dinner. Hope you enjoy, and remember, feedback and ideas are appreciated!

"Hi. My name is Emma Swan and 10 years ago I gave birth to a little brat who makes me star in his stupid projects."

"Emma," both Henry and Regina groan, drawing out the second syllable in their exasperation.

"What?" Emma snaps back. "I don't wanna film anything, especially not when I'm wearing Regina's clothes. Can't we just go play Mario Kart now?"

Regina rolls her eyes. "May I remind you who the ten-year-old is here, and who the adult is  _supposed_ to be?"

"May I remind  _you_  who started a 15 minute water fight?" Emma retorts.

"I did not start that!"

Henry giggles, and readjusts his camera lens. "Come on Emma. Just say your name, relation to me, and maybe something you like to do with me? It's not that hard."

Emma closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, realising that she probably is being a little too childish here. Honestly, she's just worried about what kind of message her current outfit could send - even though Emma did her best to choose the most casual and comfortable clothes from Regina's wardrobe after her own got soaked, there's still an obvious difference in their style that any of their peers could notice. What with Henry's confusing schemes and presumably cheeky editing, Storybrooke's citizens could easily get the wrong idea.

But, hell, she may as well get this over with.

"Okay, I'm ready," she mumbles.

"Great. Rolling," Henry replies, and Emma has to smile at his professionalism.

"Hi," she begins awkwardly. "I'm Emma, also known around here as Sheriff Swan. I'm... I'm Henry's mom, by birth. But I only got to know him in the last year, and it's been the best year of my life. I love every minute I spend with him, but I totally feel sorry for Regina, because she's had to put up with the mischievous streak he got from me for all these years. She's a great mom. And me, well... I do try." She finishes with a grin, and sighs as Henry hits the 'stop' button. "Was that okay?"

"Yeah," Henry says, smiling shyly. "Perfect."

Emma looks up at Regina then, and finds herself confused by the inscrutable look the other woman is giving her. Maybe she got a little too personal there, with all the motherhood talk, Emma thinks. It definitely seems for a second that Regina is blinking back tears, but before Emma can be sure, Regina smiles politely.

"Well, now that we're all finished up here, I suppose you can go and play," Regina says. "But only until nine fifteen, Henry. I expect you to be in bed by nine thirty."

Henry pouts, but nods. He's obviously had that argument before, and realises that it would be futile to try to change her mind. Regina has been nice lately, but she's not  _that_ nice.

Emma gets to her feet and claps a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Alright, kid. Go and set up the game then. I'll be there in a minute." The grin he gives her then seems a little too bright, but she shrugs it off.

(If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed Henry slipping the camera into his pocket earlier and put two-and-two together, but she had been too busy staring at Regina - much to Henry's amusement.)

"You going to join us?" Emma asks, once Henry has sprinted out of the room.

Regina looks genuinely confused. "Why would I? Henry doesn't want me to play with him."

"Oh, that's not true." Emma feels guilty now: has Henry really never asked Regina to play with him? It's not like this is the first time Emma has battled him in Pokemon or raced him in Mario Kart, so why has Regina never had the privilege? "Kids will play video games with anyone. Have you ever asked?"

"I haven't," Regina admits. "I just assumed."

Emma places a hand on her forearm then, and is surprised that Regina lets herself be led out of the room. "Come on then," Emma assures her, noting the apprehension etched across Regina's features. "It'll be fun."

They walk into the playroom just as Henry is setting down two controllers. He looks up, confusion flitting across his face as he sees both his mothers standing before him. "You're playing too?" he asks Regina. "I've only got two controllers."

Emma feels Regina begin to pull away as she says, "Oh, it's fine, I don't need to join you, really -"

"You can share with me, silly." Henry cuts her off, and rolls his eyes. "I'm gonna need to teach you how to play anyway."

At this, Emma turns and flashes Regina a reassuring smile. "See? You can stay." Her smile takes on a more mischievous appearance as she adds, "and this way I get to win against both of you."

"No way!" Henry cries, affronted. He reaches for Regina's hand and pulls her over. "Come on Mom," he whispers to Regina conspiratorially as the three of them sit down. "We'll beat her."

 

 

After a few clunky starts and some muttered curse words, Regina manages to pick it up okay. It's not exactly rocket science; just your average 50cc Mario Kart Wii races. Emma prefers to play as Yoshi, whereas Regina has taken a particular shine to Luigi. 

At first Henry guides Regina with the controls, and when she gets the hang of it, they start swapping at the end of each lap. Before long, Emma finds it a bit of a struggle to hold up her winning streak.

"Henry, do you mind if I take this one alone?" Regina asks just before the final race of the Cup, on Mario Circuit. When Henry nods and shuffles backward, Regina throws Emma a cheeky wink. "Look out, Swan. You have  _no_ idea what I'm capable of."

Emma has to laugh at that, of course, which unfortunately costs her a boost at the start of the race that Regina manages to achieve.

And Emma defends herself with that as an excuse minutes later, when Regina is celebrating her win with Henry. Emma's a little annoyed to have lost, but the sight of Regina high-fiving and hugging her son feels more like a victory than anything else could.

 

 

"You too old for bedtime stories?" Emma asks as she perches on the end of Henry's bed after tucking him in. Regina hovers in the doorway, simply watching. It might seem like a small gesture to an outsider, but Emma is aware how much this means; letting Emma put her son to bed requires a big relinquish of control. And as this is something Emma has missed out on for ten years, she's pretty damn grateful.

"Duh," Henry replies, burrowing further under the covers.

"Never too old for bedtime kisses though!" She pounces on him, enjoying how he squirms and giggles as she presses loud kisses to whatever skin she can reach. "Alright, alright," she surrenders after Henry's elbow narrowly misses her ribs, and gives his hair one last ruffle before getting up to turn out the light.

"Wait," Henry says, making Emma hesitate, but it's not Emma he is looking at. "Aren't you gonna say goodnight too, Mom?"

Regina almost falls into the room then, as if some kind of forcefield had been holding her back. "Of course I am, dear," she says kindly. After straightening out his blankets that had come untucked during Emma's assault, she presses a gentle kiss to his forehead. "Goodnight, Henry."

"Night Moms," Henry calls to both of them, making Emma's heart pound in her chest.  _He just called me Mom. Well, sort of._ Regina smiles at her, as if she can tell exactly what Emma's thinking. She flips off the light and walks out the door that Emma is holding open for her.

But Emma whips around as soon as she clicks the door shut. "Rematch?" she asks Regina in a low tone.

"You're on." Regina smirks at her, and they hurry back downstairs where the gaming console awaits them. 

 

 

The next morning, Henry is ecstatic to discover that he forgot to turn the camera off the night before in his over-tired state. The unexpected footage he finds in his video editing software is very pleasing indeed. (And, he observes with interest, Mom  _totally_ let Emma win that last one.)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY. It's been far too long. I have been busy, but I did put this off for longer than I should have. You guys need to yell at me more. The kudos emails were making me feel so guilty.
> 
> But I hope you like this chapter. Please let me know; feedback is the greatest encouragement!

When Regina strides into Emma’s office, she certainly isn’t expecting to see her son sitting opposite the Sheriff’s desk, munching on a handful of fries.

“Henry? What are you doing here?” she asks, both surprised and concerned. “Did something happen at school?”

He stares at her, wide-eyed and just a little guilty. “No! No, school’s fine.”

Regina shifts her gaze to Emma then, and glares. “If you’ve pulled my son out of school just so the two of you can sit here and poison yourselves with deep-fried rubbish,” she threatens, causing Emma to throw up both hands in surrender.

“Woah, calm down, Regina. We’re just having lunch together,” Emma explains.

Henry nods furiously. “Miss Blanchard said it was okay. We thought we could get some filming done of my parents at work, and you know... hang out.”

Regina’s heart sinks. It’s been years since she has taken Henry out of school so that they could share a lunch time; back when Henry was in first and second grade, it had been a somewhat common occurrence. As he grew older, though, and when that damned book first made an appearance, Henry never seemed to be interested in ‘hanging out’ with his mother any more, no matter how hard she tried.

Yet here he is, having a lunch date with the woman who waltzed into his life ten years too late and was accepted as his mother with no effort at all.

“I see,” she says, struggling to keep her tone even. “Well, perhaps I should come by another time. Enjoy your lunch, and don’t be late to school.” She quickly turns on her heel to leave, hoping that her voice didn't betray her - because if she's not careful, the tears threatening to spill from her eyes will.

"Wait, Regina!" Emma's voice stops her in her tracks, but she doesn't turn around yet. "Why don't you stay and eat with us?" Emma asks.

"Yeah!" Henry says. "And then if you have work to do with Emma, I can film you both!"

Regina looks back at their earnest faces, conflicted. "Are you sure? It seems like I would be interrupting."

"Obviously, or we wouldn't have asked," Emma replies, rolling her eyes. She gets up and pulls over a chair from the vacant Deputy's desk. "Sit down. And remember, when you're invited to dine with someone, it's only polite to eat the meal provided," she adds with a smirk.

"In other words, you have to eat fries," Henry taunts.

"I don't  _have_  to do anything, Henry. And I would hardly call this 'dining'. More like 'excessive snacking'."

Henry sticks out his salt-covered bottom lip as she sits down. " _Please,_  mom?"

"Just one, Regina!" Emma adds.

Looking between them, Regina realises that even she isn't strong enough to resist two pairs of practically identical puppy dog eyes. _Damn the both of them and their shared genes_ , she curses inwardly.

"Fine," Regina sighs, popping two fries into her mouth. They're really not that bad - once she gets over the shock of the generous amount of salt and oil, she can see the appeal and finds herself unable to resist a few more.

Within minutes, the three of them get through the whole box, licking their fingers in satisfaction.

"I want you both to understand that this was a one time only occurrence," Regina warns them while she wipes her fingers dry on a tissue, but Emma just laughs.

"Sure, sure," she says while Henry grins mischievously. "Now, didn't you have something work-related for me?"

 

 

 

Henry's doesn't listen to his moms' actual conversation as they flip through the pages of some kind of boring report.  _Grown up stuff,_  he thinks disdainfully as he adjusts the focus in his camera, frowning as he pauses to wipe at a smudge on the lens with his t-shirt.

Once everything is set up to his satisfaction, Henry watches the scene unfold through the screen on his camera. He smiles as their hands brush when his mom reaches to turn a page, prompting an awkward laugh from Emma and a blush to form on Regina's cheeks. Their discussion is good natured and civil, and Emma punctuates the work-talk with an occasional joke, drawing soft chuckles from Regina as she tries to stay focussed on the work.

They seem to forget about Henry's presence, and after a while, Henry sits back and mulls things over from a director's perspective. He's planning on lowering the volume on this scene so that the focus is on their physical behaviour rather than their work. The appropriate song for the montage of clips like this one hasn't been found yet, but Henry has been trawling through iTunes over the last week armed with Regina's credit card and is determined to find the right piece - something light-hearted, but something that will highlight not just the love in their family but the growing warmth between his parents.

Henry's thoughts are interrupted when Emma coughs and says, "Kid, we're done now. And you’ve gotta get back to school."

He nods, bouncing to his feet and quickly begins packing up the camera. "Thanks for lunch, Emma. And Mom. It was fun, and I got great footage."

Emma rolls her eyes and shares a glance with Regina. "Hey," she says to the other woman quietly, "You want to take him back to school?"

Henry looks up and notices the surprised expression on his Mom's face. There's something else there too when she looks back at Emma and smiles - maybe just gratitude, but still, that's pretty rare for her. "Yes, I'd love that," Regina says.

"Let's go then!" Henry gives Emma a quick hug, then tugs on his mom's sleeve. "Come on. I'm already late."

 

 

 

Regina drives more slowly than usual, enjoying being able to listen to Henry chatter about his upcoming lessons. His mood isn't usually so chirpy around her, so perhaps it's an after effect of spending time with Emma. It's a worthy sacrifice to make if she gets to spend more  _quality_  time with her son, rather than quantity.

"Hey, Mom," he says shyly as the Mercedes pulls up outside the schoolyard. "I was thinking, maybe we could have lunch sometime soon. Just the two of us; like we used to."

Regina's breath catches in her throat. "You'd like that?" When he nods eagerly, she breaks out into a grin. "Then I'd love to."

"Cool!" He jumps out of the car and shrugs his backpack on. "Gotta go. I'll see you later," he says, then hurries off to class.

Regina drives away after a moment's contemplation, but not back to the office. She has a new goal in mind: to pay the Sheriff's tab at Granny's for a month in advance. For this development in her relationship with Henry, she suddenly feels like she owes Emma Swan the world, and this small favour is the least she can do.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the huge delay in updating! I had half of this written and then totally forgot. Finally got around to finishing it tonight and I'm posting it quickly, so my apologies if it seems rushed! Enjoy. We're getting close to the end. Two or three more chapters, I think.

Henry chews on his bottom lip as he clicks and drags, adds and deletes, and splits and cuts. This software really didn’t take too long to master, and he navigates it with no trouble at all. So far he’s got the basic structure of the video; major clips have been chosen and edited for time, and now it’s just a matter of filling in the little gaps with smaller shots, text slides and photos. After that comes the narration, but Henry would rather record that without his mom around. It’s kind of embarrassing, after all, talking to a computer screen.

The hardest part is over, though. Henry finally chose a song the night before, after sitting up late at night with his headphones on. He’s been enjoying a song on the radio lately by David Guetta that he heard in the car with Emma, and he thought the girl on vocals had pretty cool voice, so he looked her up. Turns out her name is Sia, she’s Australian, and she sings some _really_ nice love songs. The song he’s chosen is called Day Too Soon, and it’s perfect because it sounds pretty, the lyrics are nice and relevant, and it’s obscure enough that nobody will know it without a little bit of research – and that’s only if they are curious enough to ask.

So, essentially, Henry’s totally confident that this is going to work. He just has to keep the video a secret from his moms, otherwise they’ll totally freak out and pretend that it’s not true. And it _is_ true. There’s nothing Henry hates more than being lied to, but this is even more frustrating because they’re lying to themselves.

Henry hunches back down over his screen, more determined than ever to make this video... well, flawless.

 

 

 

Regina knocks gently on Henry's door, and he calls out from within, "Yeah?"

"Good morning Henry," Regina says with a smile as she opens the door, but the smile is replaced by a look of mild disapproval. "What are you doing on your computer so early?"

"I'm editing my video. Duh." He frowns. "I need it to be perfect, and I don't have much time."

“It will be wonderful, I’m sure,” Regina reassures him. She walks into the room to pull his curtains open, then stands behind his chair, aiming to catch a glimpse of how the video is turning out. Henry quickly minimizes his project, though, and Regina finds herself staring at a ‘The Avengers’ desktop wallpaper instead.

Regina pouts at Henry as he grins cheekily at her. "Why can’t I see?”

“I’ve told you,” Henry says, exasperated. “It’ll ruin the surprise.”

“Shouldn’t I check that it’s appropriate?” Regina tries.

Henry giggles. “It’s fine, Mom. You know I wouldn’t make anything _inappropriate_ ,” he mimics.

_That’s not what I’m worried about_ , Regina wants to tell him. _I’m worried that you’re going to convince your entire class and their parents that I’m sleeping with Emma Swan._ Instead, she settles for “I suppose I’ll have to trust you,” – but she’s planning to get her hands on this video one way or another.

“I’ve cooked breakfast for you,” Regina adds, finally addressing the reason she came to his room in the first place. “But if you’re too busy...”

Henry’s eyes light up. “Did you cook hash browns?”

“Home made,” Regina confirms with a knowing smirk.

“Awesome!” He grins widely. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

Regina rolls her eyes at him before relenting and leaving him to save his project in peace.

 

 

 

“You’re not gonna find it, you know.”

Regina gasps and sends the mouse clattering to the ground as she jumps back in surprise from her son’s computer. “Henry! I thought you were outside!”

“Yeah, I was. But I know you better than you think,” he replies with a smirk. “You’re worried about what I’ve put in the video – which you shouldn’t be, but you’re still gonna try and watch it.”

Regina blushes, trying and failing miserably to hide her guilt. It’s funny how lying to most people is as easy as breathing, but with Henry, it’s becoming more and more impossible by the day. “Why can’t I find it anywhere?” she asks, defeated.

Henry pauses, seemingly weighing up his options, before stuffing his hand down his shirt and tugging out a plain blue lanyard – with a USB flash drive attached to the end. “I’ve been wearing it for days now,” he says triumphantly. “Can’t believe you didn’t notice.”

Regina laughs, all anger dissipating as she looks proudly upon her son. “Oh, Henry. You clever, clever boy.” She walks past him to leave the room, ruffling his hair as she passes him and muttering, “I’ve created a monster.”

Henry cackles and follows her out into the hall. “So are you going to steal this from me now?” he asks, with a hint of accusation in his tone. Regina falters slightly, almost missing a step as they both make their way downstairs. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you,” he laments, and Regina feels guilt swamp her almost immediately. What kind of parent sneaks around in secret, trying to catch a glimpse of their child’s private files? She’s spent so much time trying to regain his trust. This video isn’t worth losing it again.

So Regina stops as they reach the end of the stairs and grasps both of his shoulders, bending down so that they can make eye contact. “Henry, I’m not going to take it from you. I promise. I shouldn’t have searched your computer, because that was very wrong of me,” she admits, “and honestly, I’m proud of the way you looked after the video. Most of all, I’m looking forward to seeing it, because I know that you’ve worked so hard to make something lovely for your class, and for Emma and myself.”

Henry nods his agreement and says, “Good. I think I believe you.” Before Regina even gets the chance to sigh in relief, he races back outside to resume his game. “Besides,” he calls back to her as he runs, “You’re gonna be totally fine with it anyway.”

Regina laughs weakly to herself as the back door slams closed. “Oh, Henry,” she mutters. “That I can’t promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the song Henry plans to use in his video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34i0yUomjbY
> 
> The fact that there's a giant, rainbow-adorned swan boat in the video made me chuckle. Best coincidence ever.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm annoyed because I had this written almost a week ago but I got stuck on one paragraph. But finally, it's ready. We're almost at the end, guys. Can't believe anyone is still reading it at this rate! I love you all.

Emma shifts nervously in her seat next to Regina, struggling with the irrational feeling that all the parents are judging her already when the video hasn’t even _started_ yet. Henry is still setting things up on the computer, as the last kid had done their presentation on an A3 poster. Emma blames Regina for raising such a... a _nerd_ – of course he has to outdo his classmates. They’re ten year old kids, goddamnit, Emma thinks bitterly. Not big-shot producers and directors, like Henry seems to think he should be.

And judging by the mischievous grin lighting up Henry’s face, this video is going to be sending a few messages that Emma would rather not have the town whispering about for the next month.

“Alright everyone, it’s time to watch Henry’s video about his parents now,” Mary Margaret announces to the crowd who settle down immediately. Emma bites her lip and glances at Regina, who is sitting straight as a rod and perfectly composed – as always. After hitting play on his video, Henry scurries back to his seat at their table to watch along with everyone else.

 

 

The video begins with a clip Henry filmed of himself, sitting in his bedroom. “Hey everybody,” he begins, “I’m here today to tell you all about my family. It used to be just me and my mom, who you all know as the mayor, but now Emma’s here as well. Things can be a bit complicated sometimes, but I’m happy. So here’s a little look at my life and my family.”

A song starts to play softly in the background as Henry fades out and is replaced by Regina, sitting at her desk in her home office. A sneaky look at real-Regina confirms that she is very pleased to have been included first in the video. “Hello, Henry’s peers,” video-Regina says with a winning smile, “I’m Regina Mills, Mayor of Storybrooke but more importantly, Henry’s mom. I’m sure most of you know, especially considering recent events,” – Emma rolls her eyes – “that I adopted Henry. He was three weeks old when I first held him in my arms, and I’ve loved him ever since. I hope you all enjoy his project.”

Following this, there are some clips of Regina and Henry going about their daily lives – Regina cooking Henry dinner, smiling down at him as she stirs something in a pot on the stove; Henry giggling as Regina picks up the shoes he had strewn along the hall, grumbling something about laziness and respect; Regina sitting up late one night finishing a costume for Henry’s school play, sneakily filmed from behind the door. Emma sneaks another glance at Regina, feeling like a teenager in a movie theatre, and her heart swells a little when she notices tears welling in the woman’s eyes. She has to suppress the strange compulsion to reach over and squeeze her hand.

Next up is Emma’s turn. She blushes as the video she recorded about her place in Henry’s life plays, and awkwardly looks anywhere but at the screen. Emma notices that all the parents in the room are smiling at the video, clearly touched by the sweetness of it all. Henry follows up that clip with some others of him spending time with Emma, such as the two of them playing ball at the park, checkers at Mary Margaret’s, and hangman at Granny’s. An awful lot of playing, really. Emma is mildly concerned by the portrayal of her as simply the ‘fun mom’ compared to Regina.

Henry’s narration commences again, as if reading Emma’s mind. “I do a lot of fun stuff with Emma,” he explains, “but Mom can be fun as well. My favourite thing is when I get to hang out with Emma _and_ Mom, and we can be a family.”

What follows is probably one of the most confusing experiences of Emma’s life so far. She has no idea how it managed to escape her notice that she’s become so comfortable with Regina. It’s only apparent now, as she is subjected to a compilation of clips that could – and probably will – give anyone the wrong idea about their... relationship.

There’s a clip of Emma sneaking up behind a sleepy Regina as she snoozes on her desk, while Henry giggles from behind the camera. Of course, there’s the video of Emma openly flirting with Regina as she climbs down the ladder, and Emma’s 100% sure that was a total set up now. She can sense Regina stiffening beside her as they watch clips of the two of them playing video games with Henry, and then _without_ Henry - the sneaky kid - followed by the time they all had a lunch date over fries at the station, and the bubble fight at Regina’s in which they’re both shrieking and giggling and getting right up in each other’s personal space... all while accompanied by a song with uncannily relevant lyrics:

_Now I’ve been running all my life_   
_I ran away, I ran away from good_   
_Yeah, I’ve been waiting all my life_   
_You’re not a day, you’re not a day too soon_

_Honey I will stitch you_   
_Darling I will feel you in my heart_   
_Honey I will meet you_   
_Honey I will keep you in my heart_

The funny thing is, as unsettling and concerning as this whole experience has been, Emma feels a warmth settle in her stomach. She never expected it would happen, but Regina and Henry are starting to feel an awful lot like home. Emma hasn’t ever felt wanted; she’s never experienced a sense of belonging before. But when she watches Henry’s video, she realises how lucky she is to have these two people in her life. Even though one of them is a cheeky little brat sometimes, and the other can be closed-off and bitchy and is still a total mystery.

“I hope you all enjoyed this video,” Henry says via the speakers, coming back onto the screen and interrupting Emma’s thoughts. “It was fun to make. I love my moms, and even though my family’s a little weird, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 

 

The song trails off into silence as the screen fades to black. There is a brief pause before the small crowd erupts into applause, accompanied by some unsubtle murmured exchanges between each child’s parents. Emma swallows back the lump in her throat as she feels a cold sweat break out across her skin. A quick glance at Regina confirms that the other woman is just as concerned as she is, judging by the way Regina’s eyes have widened and she appears a little paler than usual. Emma gives her a nervous smile, trying to convey non-verbally ‘ _I know they’re all gossiping about us but we can just ignore it, right?’_ – and Regina simply frowns in response.

Henry beams at the applause his video has garnered. He turns to face his moms and asks shyly, “So, what did you think?”

“It was so beautiful, Henry,” Regina says in a thick voice, even though there’s no longer any evidence of tears.

“Told you so,” Henry says with a grin, and then turns to Emma and gazes at her expectantly.

Emma gulps. “Uh, yeah, kid. It was really sweet. I’m glad you’re coping so well with our little...” She pauses, trying to find the right word. “Family... arrangement... I guess. Maybe a little too well,” Emma adds, chuckling nervously, and glances at Regina who is staring down at her lap, wringing her hands together.

Mary Margaret clears her throat from the front of the class. “Thank you, Henry, for your lovely presentation. Next up we have Anna! Could you set up your presentation, dear?” She then looks over at Emma and smirks before mouthing to her, ‘ _We need to talk._ ’

Emma grimaces and nods, already thinking of ways to avoid that conversation, but is interrupted by someone tapping her shoulder.

“Excuse me,” says the man she turns to face – someone’s father, but she’s forgotten whose. “I just wanted to say that I think it’s so nice that Henry has his two moms together now.”

“I – we – what?” Emma stammers, and flushes bright red.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” the man continues. “Storybrooke is quite a progressive little town. In fact, Henry’s classmate Anna is up there to talk about her two dads.”

Emma simply gapes dumbly, unable to form a response. Her stomach sinks as another parent leans over from the desk next to theirs and smiles at Henry.

“Hey, Sara’s mom!” Henry says to her, remaining oblivious, along with Regina, to the mostly one-sided conversation Emma just experienced.

“What a sweet video that was, Henry!” the woman tells him. “You must be so proud,” she adds to Regina.

“I am always proud of Henry,” Regina says with a smug smile.

The woman nods eagerly. “Henry’s a very lucky boy. You and the Sheriff make a lovely couple!”

Regina’s face seems to flash through all colours of the rainbow before finally settling on a thunderous purple. _Uh oh._ So much for having a politician’s poker face.

“If you somehow gained the impression that Ms Swan and myself are in some kind of relationship,” Regina growls, “I’m afraid you have gravely misunderstood.”

The woman shrinks away and apologises hurriedly, and if it wasn’t for how terrified Emma herself is right now, she’d find the whole thing hilarious.

“Come on, Mom,” Henry says from between them. “What’s the big deal?”

“We’ll talk about this later,” Regina replies through gritted teeth.

Emma leans over and whispers in Regina’s ear. “Hey. Calm down. Causing a scene is only gonna make this worse. We can fix it, alright? I’ll bring some guy with me when I pick Henry up from school or something, I don’t know...”

“I don’t know what’s worse, you being perceived as a lesbian or a tramp,” Regina hisses in response.

“Woah, what the hell?” Emma whispers furiously, but they are interrupted once again by Mary Margaret.

“If you’re all finished talking, Anna is ready to start her presentation!” The teacher smiles brightly then takes a seat facing the screen.

Anna stands confidently next to her slideshow on the screen and begins her speech. “Most kids have mommies and daddies who love each other, but some of us have something a little different. I actually have two daddies who love each other, just like Henry has two mommies who love each other –”

“That’s enough!” Regina announces, and stands bolt upright, knocking the flimsy plastic chair clean over. She grabs Emma’s forearm and roughly jerks her upwards until she’s standing too. “I will not be the subject of such pathetic gossiping and speculation. Ms. Swan, I believe we have some things to discuss. Outside. _Now!_ ” Regina kicks the chair out her way and storms out of the room, leaving a stunned silence in her wake. Poor little Anna looks as if she’s about to burst into tears, Emma notices.

“You should probably go deal with that,” Henry says sagely, and nudges her towards the door.

Emma sighs and runs a hand through her hair. “Right. Yeah. Sorry about all... this,” Emma says lamely, and gestures around the room at everyone’s shocked faces. She clears her throat and hurries towards the door, pausing to give an apologetic smile to Anna. “Keep going with your presentation. I’m sure it’ll be awesome.”

She slips out of the classroom door and closes it softly behind her, looking around for the source of the evening’s disturbance. “Regina?” she calls out. “What the hell is going on?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert OH GOD I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG note here*
> 
> In all seriousness, November has been a shocker of a month for me. But now it's finished, as is this chapter! I sincerely hope that you all love it, because you've been so patient and supportive of my silly little story.
> 
> This is the ~last~ chapter I suppose but I'm planning on doing one more, an epilogue of sorts. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think!

Emma jogs down the empty hall, checking in each dark classroom for Regina and trying to figure out why she isn't feeling more afraid about the conversation they'll soon be having. She notices a door slightly ajar a few metres ahead, and hurries towards it to peer in to the dark room. Sure enough, Regina is pacing between the small desks inside the room, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"There you are!" Emma says as she walks in and closes the door behind her. She doesn't bother turning on the light switch, figuring that some difficult conversations are best had without the presence of fluorescent lighting. "What was that, back in the classroom?" she asks softly, leaning back against the door to wait for a response.

"Go away," Regina mutters, her back to Emma. "Leave me alone." Her voice catches on the last word, and she sniffs quietly.

Alarm bells go off in Emma's head, and she stammers, "Woah, are - are you crying?" Emma steps closer, hesitantly. She is totally unprepared to deal with a crying Regina, and to be honest, it isn't exactly how she saw this day ending up. Struggling to find the right words to say, Emma opens her mouth, but thankfully, Regina whips around and cuts her off.

"I shouldn't have done that. I need to go back in there and apologise," Regina says almost frantically, wringing her hands in front of her.  She starts forward and tries to duck around Emma, who grabs her arm and pulls her away from the door.

"No way," Emma warns her. "You are not going back in there, and you are  _not_  walking away from this conversation."

"I don't want to talk to you. Let go of me!" The flash of genuine fear in her eyes distracts Emma, allowing Regina to jerk her arm violently out of Emma's grasp and stumble backwards until her legs collide with a desk. Emma knows that sort of reaction all too well, and she feels guilt settle in her stomach.

"Woah, okay, I'm sorry," Emma says, holding her hands up in surrender, "I won’t grab you. But -- jesus, Regina, would you calm down? I only want to talk. We don’t really have a choice, you know."

"I just—” Regina bites her lip as tears continue to well in her eyes. She wraps her arms tightly around her chest again and lets out a shuddering sigh. “I can't talk about this,” she tries again, “Not now, and especially not with a room full of people currently muttering about how I'm some kind of closeted bitch, and I - _shit_ ,” she curses – much to Emma’s surprise – and starts shaking her head agitatedly, “I made a little girl cry, and this -- this is not how things were supposed to happen!" She finishes with a strangled sob and presses a trembling hand to her mouth.

Emma rushes towards her, struck with a sudden fear that the other woman is about to collapse or faint or something else typically dramatic. "Hey,” she soothes. “Hey, just -- just take a second and breathe for me, okay?" Emma gently grasps Regina's shaking shoulders and guides her down until she's sitting on the table, then takes a seat next to her. She rests her own feet on the small chair in front of her, and Regina crosses her ankles, lady-like as ever even in her moment of weakness. "That's it," Emma says softly, and reaches into her back pocket from which she pulls out a slightly worn but unused Kleenex. "Here, have this - it's clean, I promise."

Regina rolls her eyes, but snatches the tissue from Emma regardless. She dabs at her eyes and then gently blows her nose, with as much dignity as she can muster.

Emma gives her a few moments to recover before asking quietly, "Now, tell me, why'd you get so upset in there?"

"Because - those people,” Regina replies weakly, “They were spreading slander--"

"Bullshit. There was nothing slanderous about it,” Emma interrupts. “Our kid made a video that made it look like we were together, and the audience believed it. But the people talking-- that wasn't the problem, was it? I get the feeling you've had people gossip about you before. Was it because they were calling you a lesbian? Or because they think you're dating me?"

Emma holds her breath and waits for a biting retort - waits to be told how insulted and disgusted Regina is at the thought of being with Emma – but to her credit, Regina takes time to consider the question and replies honestly, albeit without meeting Emma’s eyes. "It's not about you,” she finally says. “Well, I suppose it is, but not in the way you're thinking."

"Then what is it?" Emma replies, drumming her fingers nervously on her thigh.

"It scared me. What they were saying about us," Regina admits softly, with her eyes downcast. "It's been confusing enough, having you spend so much time with us, but what's more confusing is that-- that I've enjoyed your company." Her eyes lift to meet Emma's before she continues. "I... don't know what that means, or how to deal with it. So I decided not to think about it, and now-- well, you know what happened."

Emma nods and smiles reassuringly. It's an unmeasurable relief that Regina hasn't rejected her outright - that she isn't something dirty and unwanted, something to be ashamed of. Emma has suffered a lifetime of never quite feeling good enough, and whenever she has looked at perfect Regina with her perfect hair and clothes and house and job and  _son_ , she's always felt like she didn't have a chance in hell. But now, she is sitting with a woman who might actually  _want_  this to happen, and it makes her feel as brave as one of Henry's White Knights. She slips a hand tentatively on to Regina's knee, and when Regina doesn't flinch, she squeezes gently.

"Look, this is how I see it," Emma begins. "You like having me around, and I like being here. We've been flirting with each other for a long time now-- oh, don't give me that look," she teases, as Regina tries to appear affronted, "It's so obvious that the kid filled an entire video with it. So maybe we're in the position where we should think about-- giving this a shot, rather than running away from it," she says, swallowing down the lump in her throat.

Regina rolls her eyes again, but without the usual vitriol. "Running away," she breathes, echoing Emma's words. "That's rich, coming from you."

Emma blushes. "Well, yeah," she laughs nervously, "So doesn't that just prove my point? That this is something real, and worth sticking around for?"

"I don't know that I'll ever be ready, though, to let you in to my life,” Regina tells her. “I know you've been kicking down the walls that I’ve put up one by one with your awful knee-high boots,” she says, and Emma smirks proudly. “But-- if whatever we have ever becomes _something_ , then what would that mean for Henry?” She chews on her lip again, then elaborates: “It just feels like the closer you get to me, then the closer you get to  _him_ , and he becomes a little less mine every day."

"That's not true, Regina, and you know it,” Emma says. “The more time we spend together with him, the more he forgets about curses and saviours and Evil Queens, and he turns into the happy, well-adjusted kid he should be.” She nudges Regina’s knee with hers, almost playfully. “Look me in the eye and tell me that things haven't improved for the two of you since we called a truce,” she challenges.

Regina stares down at their knees, as if she’s only just noticed how close they’re sitting and the presence of Emma’s hand on her thigh. Eventually, she meets Emma’s gaze. "I can't,” she answers.

"See?"

"But-- but I'm not a lesbian, Emma,” Regina protests, one final defensive move in this battle she is losing so obviously. “And you're not even close to-- to what I've imagined for my future, believe me."

Emma smiles at her with a little bit of sympathy. "I get the feeling what you imagined was a hell of a lot less fun, and more... lonely,” she settles on, because as sad as the word is, it’s one of the more accurate ways to describe the woman before her.

"Perhaps," Regina concedes. "But it was sensible."

"Sensible?" Emma raises an eyebrow and chuckles. "Oh, you have no idea how much you just spurred me on."

Regina just grins back at her then, and lets her hand fall on top of Emma's, which is still resting on her knee. Emma's heart races as Regina leans even closer and whispers, "So? What do you propose we do now?"

"Sounds like somebody's handing over some control, for once," Emma says, her voice suddenly a good deal rougher and her heart pounding in her chest so ferociously she wonders if Regina can hear it.

"Maybe I'm just tired of fighting battles I can't win." Regina's eyes fall to Emma's lips, and she licks her own almost hungrily. In response, Emma leans in and rests her forehead against Regina's.

She gathers up all the courage she has left in her, and says, "Is that an invitation for me to go ahead?”

Regina closes her eyes, and Emma isn't sure if it's a sign of defeat, of if she's just feeling as overwhelmed as Emma is right now. "If you want it to be, dear," Regina whispers, and with that, Emma closes the tiny distance between them and presses her lips to Regina's.

The kiss is soft and sweet, far too brief for Emma’s liking, but the blissful look on Regina’s face after she pulls away is oh-so-worth it.

"See? Not so scary after all," Emma says with a smile, and Regina simply hums in response before tangling a hand in Emma’s hair and bringing her in once more, this time for a much fiercer yet surprisingly tender kiss.

Emma grins like a fool against Regina’s lips, which makes Regina smile as well, so ultimately, they break apart to keep from laughing into each others’ mouths. Emma rests her cheek against Regina’s and pulls the other woman into a hug.

“We should have done this a long time ago,” Emma whispers into Regina’s ear, closing her eyes and taking a moment just to enjoy the scent of Regina’s perfume.

“Yes,” Regina agrees, and brushes her lips against Emma’s cheek. “Yes, we should have.”

Alas, like most good things, their moment does not last. There is a sudden thundering of footsteps that echoes down the hall and before the women even have a chance to extract themselves from their embrace, the door to the classroom is thrown open.

“I knew it!” Henry shouts gleefully, and punches the air. “I knew it would work!”

Emma feels Regina sigh against her, and she can’t help but grin back at Henry over Regina’s shoulder. “You are so lucky this ended well, kid,” she tells him, and he rolls his eyes in an impressive tribute to his mother.

“Of course it would. Everyone deserves a happy ending,” he replies, as if such things are as certain as the sun rising and falling every day.

Regina finally pulls herself out of Emma’s arms, and stands up to turn and face her son. “Henry, could you take me to your friend Anna? I think I owe her an apology.”

“Sure thing.” Henry gives her a knowing smile, and extends a hand which she takes hold of gratefully. It’s when Regina turns back and mirrors Henry’s gesture, holding out her hand to Emma confidently but with uncertainty in her eyes, that Emma finds herself having to hold back tears.

“Really?” Emma breathes as she steps forward and hesitantly grasps Regina’s hand. “You sure about this?”

Regina just shrugs and says, “Are you?”

“Yes,” Emma says simply, and squeezes Regina’s hand.

As they make their way through the milling crowd, Emma looks at Regina and the son that they share, and she realises that she’s never been so sure about anything in her life.


End file.
